Leo, December 2024: Your Monthly Horoscope

For fiery, friendly, and fearless Leo: Here’s what you can expect to enjoy, work through, and receive throughout the month of December.

Your ruling celestial body, the Sun, begins the month in conjunction with the new Moon in Sagittarius. The introspective lunar phase’s placement through moralistic Sagittarius provides a perfect backdrop for reflecting on the past eleven months of the year. What have you learned? When has your ego been challenged, and were you able to back up your beliefs, or did your mind change? This type of analysis can help fortify your mental and emotional resolve before the new year arrives. In turn, it becomes easier to venture into the unknown territory of a brand-new calendar cycle. Now’s an ideal time to get your ducks in a row, Leo. 

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Of course, this process is often easier said than done. There appears to be potential bumps in the road as early as December 4 when your ruling celestial body forms a challenging square with Saturn. As the cosmic disciplinarian urges us to draw and enforce boundaries, tend to responsibilities, and face challenges head-on, the ego-driven Sun promises to make things a bit tricky as it tries to prioritize pride and social standing over self-preservation and mental well-being. Just because something isn’t coming easily to you doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t worth pursuing. And it certainly doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Don’t let your pride get in your own way of evolution. 

Two days later, on December 6, Mars goes retrograde. This nearby planet’s retrograde period is very similar to the infamous Mercury retrograde in that it can increase the likelihood of errors or mishaps that stall or altogether stagnate progress. Motivation will likely decrease around this time, which can be disheartening at first. However, this also serves as an invaluable opportunity to rest and recharge. Sometimes, the only way someone as hard-working as you will slow down is if the universe forces you to do so. And Mars retrograde certainly ushers in this slower, calmer, and more peaceful energy. 

The following day, Neptune returns direct as the Sun reaches its peak opposition to Jupiter retrograde. Neptune’s return to its normal forward transit helps swing emotional focus outward, aiming creative and imaginative energy toward external challenges and pursuits. However, Neptune direct also has the potential to mislead you as it adopts perspectives that, while pleasant or comforting, might not be entirely true. With Jupiter retrograde challenging preconceived ideas and beliefs, standing firm in your values becomes all the more critical. Now is not the time to give into ego-stroking or challenges to your pride. You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone but yourself, Leo. Others’ opinions are not your concern. 

On December 10, the cosmos provides an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and forge a safer, healthier path this time. As the Sun forms an auspicious trine with both Chiron retrograde and the waxing gibbous Moon, emotional awareness of your role in past mistakes and hurt becomes clearer. The silver lining of hardship often appears days, weeks, or even years after the initial sting of hurt or anger. This upside, of course, is the wisdom we gain from enduring these kinds of challenges. Under the influence of the Sun’s harmonious trine with Chiron, a dwarf planet governing our vulnerable “soft spots,” turning negatives into a positive becomes more straightforward. Indeed, everything tends to happen for a reason.

December 15 will prove to be a particularly potent time for you as the full Moon in Gemini directly opposes your ruling celestial body. This cosmic standoff inherently calls for balance and compromise, particularly in areas of pride and emotion. You can’t always get what you want, and neither can anyone else. Sometimes, the best option you have is to give and take a little on either side. With the full Moon in flexible Gemini, this should be relatively doable. Still, you might have to check your ego at the door as you navigate this delicate balance between advocating for yourself and pursuing the greater good. 

Around the same time that the waning gibbous Moon enters your celestial domain (December 17), the Sun also forms a challenging square with Neptune (December 18). This lunar phase calls for the release of old behaviors, ideas, or relationships that no longer serve us. The discoveries illuminated under the previous full Moon’s glow inherently come with their unique benefits and consequences. Unfortunately, you can’t pick and choose the subsequent outcomes of these revelations. You have to take the bad with the good. But conversely, you also get to take the good with the bad. Be wary of falling victim to manipulation or misguidance as the Sun forms its tense square with Neptune. Even your own ego can create this type of deception that Neptune is prone to riling up, Leo. Proceed cautiously. 

The Sun moves into Capricorn on December 21, just in time for its square with the last-quarter Moon. Capricorn’s pragmatic energy helps assess your life path honestly and logically. Does where you’re headed align with your intrinsic values and beliefs? If not, where did the divergence start? And more importantly, what can you do to get back on track? This type of healthy judgment becomes especially useful as the Sun forms a tense square with the last-quarter Moon. Indeed, you might not always like the information that the cosmos presents to us, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it.

The final days of the year see a second new Moon of December reaching its darkest phase in Capricorn. This reflective lunar phase also conjoins with the Sun, helping to reaffirm your inner beliefs and values. Capitalize on this cosmic energy while it’s here by taking stock of what you’ve learned in the past year. Determine how you can apply these insights to your daily life in the months to come. If there were ever a time to flex your ability to learn, grow, and mature, it would be now, Leo.

Thus concludes your monthly highlights. For more specific celestial analyses, make sure to read your daily and weekly horoscope as well. Good luck, Leo! See you next month.